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District Recognizes Significant Role of School Nurses
Reno, NV (May 12, 2011) - Keeping students healthy is a school nurse's most important and favorite part of his or her job. Washoe County School District's school nurses and others around the nation were honored earlier this week for National School Nurse Day to recognize their care and expertise.
"We have students who are very medically fragile," said Robin Reinders, a school nurse who covers several Spanish Springs schools in her rotation. "We have challenges anywhere from having a student that requires a 9-1-1 evacuation to students who can't do their own diabetic care. It's ever challenging and ever changing. Nothing is ever the same."
In WCSD, school nurses rotate from school to school, providing checks on children's vision, hearing, backs for scoliosis and height and weight. They're also swift to respond to students who have medical challenges.
The nurses' dedication to preserving student health largely has inspired National School Nurse Day, which was celebrated earlier this week by WCSD staff. National School Nurse Day falls on the Wednesday within National Nurse Week, which is always recognized between May 6 and 12. This year, National School Nurse Day was May 11. The week to acknowledge all nurses across the nation also recognizes the contributions of nine WCSD classified nurses who work at the district level.
Reinders is a former intensive care and neonatal nurse who joined the Washoe County School District four years ago. It was her dream to become a nurse since she was younger. This summer, she will volunteer at a diabetes camp to educate students on their condition.
"The most rewarding part is keeping kids healthy and keeping them in school," Reinders said. "It's a real privilege to be a school nurse working in the Washoe County School District."
With so many children impacted by the economy and without access to health care, Reinders said providing community resources, especially in helping to identify potential vision impairments, is a major part of what District nurses do for students. If a student is need of glasses but his or her family is unable to provide them, school nurses provide community access to help the students get free eye exams and glasses. Reinders said students experience greater difficulty in learning if they can't read the chalkboard in class or even their own textbooks.
Dana Balchunas, director of the District's student health services, said school nurses provide an invaluable service to the students of Washoe County.
"Each day, the 36 school nurses of the WCSD provide their expertise and specialized clinical knowledge to ensure the health and safety of all students, particularly those with complex or life-threatening health conditions," Balchunas said. "National School Nurse Day is an opportunity for the educational community to honor the role of our school nurses in promoting the well-being, academic success and lifelong academic achievement of students."
About Washoe County School District: The Washoe County School District includes the Reno/Sparks metropolitan area, Incline Village, Gerlach, Empire and Wadsworth, Nevada. The District provides each of its 63,000 students with a superior education in a safe and challenging environment and is committed to graduate every child career and college ready.
For more information visit www.washoecountyschools.org. Follow us on Twitter at WCSDTweet.
Washoe County School
District
425 East Ninth Street
Reno, NV 89520
